Upcycle Repurpose Something With Potential No Waste

 

Upcycle Repurpose Something With Potential No Waste

Hi! Welcome to LilacsNDreams! A major thing for me with upcycling, and repurposing is I hate to see something with potential go to waste. There are many things in the home, thrift stores, second hand stores, and around us that can be upcycled, and repurposed. 

UPCYCLE is taking an item that is headed to the trash, and being discarded or forgotten. Put it into the recycle bin , and turn it into something useful again. 

REPURPOSE simply means using an item in a way that wasn’t originally made, or intended to be used. 

Think outside the box to find items that you can create with. Things in your home, thrifting, junking, yard sales, estate sales, and sometimes a curbside find too. There is no rules, or limit on how you can do things.  Many upcycle, and repurpose items into something useful for the home. Get the look you love without spending a lot of money. Save some money, and have a unique decor for you or given as a gift too. 

Here is a list of some ideas to consider, and to maybe make things that you want for yourself. 

*Globes can be used for hanging in a nursery, and the globe stand could be used to make a paper towel stand.

* Instead of discarding an old lamp shade you could make it into a wired basket that can be used for a waste basket, use it for storing things, and a basket to put with your decor. 

*Use a ladder, and make it into a blanket rack. 

*A vintage, or old bar cart could be made into an end table. Open area could hold plants, or maybe place a lamp on it too. 

*Vintage tea cups you don’t know what to do with? They are adorable as candle holders. 

*An old dresser, or buffet can be made into a bathroom vanity

*Old shutters can be made into wall, or home decor

Possibilities are endless, and so much fun too. Also, you made it makes it a little more special too. 

To see more pictures, or images from the list I shared you can google it, or better yet you could look on Pinterest where many ideas are shared by many people. Look for images of finished items, and sometimes some of the images will have instructions for how they were designed. Another place to look would also be on Tik Tok where you will get some live feeds to show you things too. 

Hope everyone enjoyed some ideas of taking trash, and making them into treasures. DIY projects are great for everyone to do. 

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Stop by again soon. Take care!

Christmas Crafting Pool Noodles Into Candles

 Christmas Crafting Pool Noodles Into Candles 

Hi! Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Everyone survive all the Halloween festivities? For some a busy weekend too. But, here we are November. Feeling the season changing more, next will be Thanksgiving, but as we have all seen Christmas is out everywhere too. 

I Love Christmas! I love being able to craft, upcycle, repurpose all things christmas. Today I want to share a DIY project using pool noodles. Many things can be done with pool noodles, and over time I have learned to keep a few on hand in case I get an urge to make something with them. You see it done many times how pool noodles are used to make Halloween candles. They look great all decorated, and made up too. So, now we get to experience using them for Christmas candles. There are some great ones made I have seen with some adorable center pieces too. 

You could look for the color pool noodle of the color candles you want like red, green, blue, and white too. Of course if you have no luck finding the color you want you can always paint them as well. Have fun creating them, and making them to what you want displayed in your home. You can cut them into different sizes you want for a candle, or for a bundle of candles. 

Ok, once you cut them to the sizes you want don’t forget to outline the base of a tea light flicker candle at the top of the pool noodle. You’ll want to do this to help you better know what hole needs to be cut for you to insert the tea light candles in there. Don’t put them in quite yet though. You want the candle to be completed with any paint you want done, adding glue for the melted wax effect, adding some glitter maybe, epson salt can also be added to give the candle more of a natural look. Just so many fun, and exciting things you can do!

Once the candles have been decorated the way you want you can then add them to whatever you want to use for the base of your center pieces. You can use charger plates, pizza pans, maybe a rectangular serving tray, maybe a rimmed round tray, some kind of bowl, and the possibilities are endless. After deciding that you could add some snow around the bottom, add trees, add some deer, add snowmen, set a bench and some decorative light posts, put some snowflakes on the candles, put some ribbon on the candles, and again the endless possibilities you have with this are so fun!

Below you will see pictures shared of different ideas to make these candles. You will see some arrangements, how some were decorated, and I hope you enjoy them and are able to get some ideas for what you would like. These pictures I share are not my creations. Most were found on Pinterest, in Google searches, and some of them will be marked with who made and shared them too. 

They can be made simple with such a great effect. They can be dressed up more to give it the feel/vibe you want to share. No rules, no right or wrong, just do as you wish for what works for you. Oh, so fun isn’t it?

Well everyone I hope you enjoyed this idea of crafting with pool noodles. There is a lot you can do. I chose to show you the candles because honestly candles are a favorite thing of mine. I enjoy making them, and creating with candle holders too. For more ideas look at Pinterest, and do a Google search. Also, check with different craft groups locally and on Facebook too.

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Have a great day, take care, and see you again soon!

Using black pool noodles, adding some glue for the melted wax look is my start for these I did couple years ago to put into a vendor fair I attended

Pretty much how it ended up with it being decorated. This was the 2nd time I had made these. Honestly, I think I rushed doing this a little bit. But, it was fun, and I got a lot of looks, compliments, and inquiries. 

Halloween Trick or Treat Celebrations Fun and Costumes

Halloween Trick or Treat Celebrations Fun and Costumes

Happy Halloween Everyone from LilacsNDreams! It’s Friday, October 31, it’s officially Halloween, and everyone is busy with this upcoming weekend. Our town did its trick or treating last sunday from 4 - 6. Gorgeous out, sunny, light wind, and comfortable. It went well for us. I know tonight the town east of us, that we use to live before here, is having their trick or treating tonight from 5:30 to 7:30. Then, tomorrow morning they will have their Trunk or Treat with the downtown businesses, and area. I honestly miss doing things like they are. 

Anyway, gonna keep this short for you. I just wanted to stop by, and wish everyone a Happy Halloween. 

Please, have fun, enjoy, dress up, celebrate with others and with the kids, but also be safe out there too. Lots of creatures, and lots of crazies will be out. LOL!! 

Thanks for stopping by LilacsNDreams! Take care!

* * * *  P.S. Just a small note to let you know that after looking things over I have decided that I will be going back to my weekly postings being on Monday mornings. Hope this is agreeable with everyone. Take Care, and thanks again for visiting! * * * * 

 

Upcycled Repurposed Glass Salt Pepper Shakers Candle Holders

 

Upcycled Repurposed Glass Salt Pepper Shakers Candle Holders

Hello, and Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Everyone ready for the Trick or Treaters? When will you be doing yours? I know many towns do theirs at different times. We had ours on Sunday night which was a nice comfortable evening for it. Not to cold, sunny, light wind, and it was soo much fun seeing the kids all dressed up too!

Sorry, little side track there. I have been roaming the internet, Pinterest, Google, checking out different selling platforms, and I have been admiring pictures I see for craft projects that have been done. I really adore how you can thrift, find something that was discarded, and sometimes finding vintage pieces to use for your projects too. Just love giving new life to glassware found, and making unique pieces to fit with your home decor. Especially now you are seeing a lot of pieces created for the upcoming Christmas holidays.

I love upcycled repurposed glassware. I have seen, and found some adorable pieces done with smaller pieces of glass. Just so cute using glass salt and pepper shakers, and maybe some glass candle holders too. With salt, and pepper shakers you can use the glass part for the body of a snowman. Most of the metal tops can be used to make the hats for these adorable snowmen too. You can paint the tops, add some cloth or additions to dress them also. For the head you can use maybe small styrofoam balls, small pieces of jewels, use some crystal like balls, or maybe you have some other things with your supplies you could consider too. No set rules, and you can create as you wish.

Adorable snowman family using 2 glass candle holders, and 2 glass salt pepper shakers too. 

This snowman was made from a glass candle holder, and then adding other glass pieces to create this snowman.

Now, this is fabulous too! Old glass candle holder used, the doll head was found when thrifting, I love the jeweled hat made, and just love how the whole piece had been created.

So many ideas shared with all these pictures! It makes me want to create cute pieces for home decor too. I love what others have shared because it is inspirational seeing so many different pieces. I have to note that none of these pictures are mine. These were found on Pinterest with so many other ideas people have shared too. I could spend forever looking, thinking, creating in my mind, taking pictures and notes for further reference with ideas to create my own.

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams! I appreciate you taking the time to visit, and hope to see you again soon. Take care everyone!

Upcycle Repurpose Thrift Vintage Decor Glassware

 

Upcycle Repurpose Thrift Vintage Decor Glassware

Hi, and Welcome to LilacsNDreams! I love what I do, when I can do it, and I enjoy sharing with you what I do and what I learn. I love thrifting, I admire vintage collectibles, and I really enjoy crating and creating things too. Better yet, I enjoy when I can do all of these things together. I know there are many people who create things from Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and stores like those. There are also people who take items found from thrifting used, and some old pieces into upcycling and repurposing them. 

The words Upcycle, and Repurpose get used a lot. I decided to look up the definitions to these 2 words. They are close in comparison that it becomes confusing. I find myself being confused when describing things if I should say upcycle, or do I say repurpose? So, here is what Google shared with me when I inquired.

UPCYCLING is a process of transforming old or unused items into something new and valuable. So, it’s transforming discarded items into something of greater quality, or environmental value. The process can involve creative modifications, combination, and often procedures or treatments that alter the appearance. For example like an old tattered button down shirt into maybe some kind of dress. You could also turn an old tire into a decorative planter by stacking, and maybe painting too. 

Upcycling is also known as a creative reuse. It’s a process of transforming products, waste materials, maybe useless or unwanted items into something new. It’s a process of making something new from something old. 

REPURPOSING is simply known as using a product to serve another purpose. Sometimes uniting pieces will create a repurposed item. So, repurposing is simply finding a new use for the original object. Something simple would be like using a cereal box to organize a drawer. 

So repurposing is using an object for a new purpose for which it was not originally intended. Often the item will be used in its current form with minimal modification. 1 example would be using some old clothing to make something new from cleaning rags, quilts, or blankets too. Again, the example of using a cereal box to make dividers in a drawer. 

Use a step ladder to make a decorative stand with your home decor

Use a bigger ladder, and add some shelves to it so that you can display some of your vintage collectibles and some of your home decor too

Make a candle holder by uniting a plate with a teacup as its stand. Cute idea, right?

Many different uses for drawers instead of throwing them. Paint them, hang them, glue some together to make a stackable shelf, use as planters, for storage, and many uses.

Preserving some of the old into something new, and useful. Make some shelves on your wall. Neat idea, and how adorable too.

None of these above pictures are mine. A lot of them, or most of them came from searching Pinterest. I found more interesting pictures from there to share than what I found with Google. 

Well everyone I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Upcycling, and Repurposing. If you want to see more things you could Google this, or don’t forget to check Pinterest where there are a lot of things shared there too. 

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Take care, and see you again soon!

Halloween Windows and Outdoor Decorating

 

Halloween Windows and Outdoor Decorating

Hi! Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Halloween will soon be here before we know it. Been kind of sluggish this year with decorating, what to do, same thing but yet to do something a little different. Reason we generally decorate is the kids so enjoy it, and the adults have fun with it too. When we have windows open people slow down as they are driving by, the comments, the laughs, kids squealing gives us a smile, and giggle too. Business downtown just told me the other day they love the decorations, the bush lights really add to it, and love the skeletons too.

Our big bay window we generally make it like a feature part of our decorating. People seem to enjoy it too. We just got the last window done with the Nun costume. Picture won’t show it yet, but tomorrow I will be adding about 4 total flicker candles in the window around her a bit. Give it a little more light, but still kind of eerie too. 

Window before we got the Nun hung in it. 

Ok, the candles you see with the woman and kids in the big window is what will be added here too. 1 on each side of the nun on the middle ledge, and then 1 on each side of her on the bottom ledge. Hopefully it’s just enough light to make it kind of eerie too. 

So, decorations are pretty much done. Still waiting on shipment of a door cover that was ordered for the front door. Right now using one of our extras that we have for now. 

Now, I just received 3 big bags of candy, big assortment, and the little Halloween baggies just arrived too. Next few days I will separate candy out in piles, and then start bagging those for the trick or treaters. We use to tell the kids to go ahead, take a handful, we always have plenty of candy for this night. They still take maybe 2 pieces being shy with it. So, last year we did Halloween baggies, put a variety of candy in them, tied them up, and the kids then got a bag of goodies. Worked well, and so we are doing it again this year. 

It’s so sad because it really doesn’t feel like Halloween. When you are in the different stores there is hardly any Halloween. They sure do have Christmas items out. Sadly, the fun of the holidays keeps getting less and less. It’s about the sales, and pushing it upon us. Wish we could go back in time, and celebrate holidays more like we use to. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Except for Christmas the others are becoming less and less. Just so sad. 

Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed the Halloween pictures of what we have done…till we change something again..LOL! Thanks for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Take care, and stop by again soon!